From: James Bovington, Church Grove, Horsforth, Leeds.
THE by-election result in Glasgow East spells the end of the UK Union as it exists today. We will look back on this as a defining moment. While not wanting to see passports at Penrith or customs at Carlisle, I believe that the Union is out of date in its present form .
However, a referendum with the choice as status quo or outright independence is perhaps neither winnable nor desirable.
We need a new structure in these islands that allows us
to exist as interdependent nation states with the British Empire – f
orce for good though it has undoubtedly been – consigned to history like pounds and ounces.
The key is that both England and Scotland should be sovereign states with the Scottish parliament becoming the supreme lawmaking body for Scotland. We also need a sovereign parliament in England. It would then be up to the two parliaments to determine the desirable degree of integration.
We have a Council of the Isles – the British-Irish Council. I would like to see this forum developed – it could co-ordinate a common visa policy, for example. There seems to be little point in dismantling for the sake of it much of the present UK-wide legislation, for example, in areas like financial services. What needs to be examined is how such legislation is developed and that is where the sovereign parliaments come into their own.
I hope that Scotland will remain in monetary union with England and that eventually together we could go into the euro. And possibly into Schengen. And have kilometres on our road signs. In short, join the modern world and stop clinging to symbols of the past.
What is needed for the 21st century is new thinking that shows that independence can actually enhance the inter-dependence of the peoples in these islands and that this is more appropriate than the top- down British state which retains an outdated British Empire mentality. Perhaps then England will face up to the question of its role in Europe and become a more positive player – even a leader – on the European stage, the "British" stage having disappeared.
People likely can't be loyal to more than two identities and I'd go with English and European, it's the British that is anachronistic and irrelevant.
Until we remove it, England will never be reconciled to the European project – yet our history marks us out as the most European of nations and we should be leading. But we can't until Britain disappears as an over-arching political entity. Hence I hope that the Scots will set us free.
Visitors impressed by town's regeneration
From: Robert Kidd, deputy director, Department for Social Development, Ormeau Road, Belfast.
AT the end of June, I and a number of Northern Ireland government colleagues travelled to Doncaster to see at first-hand the regeneration and development which is taking place.
The reason we selected Doncaster is that it equates to cities and towns in Northern Ireland, such as Londonderry, in size terms.
My colleagues and I were very impressed by a number of factors, not least the amount that has been achieved by Doncaster in a very short space of time. There has evidently been a strong drive and commitment from both politicians and officials in supporting the regeneration efforts.
The Keepmoat Stadium is a jewel in your crown which you should rightly be proud of. The facilities are first class and to have been developed on time and on budget and to
have them so well used is a testament to a job well done.
We also visited Robin Hood Airport and heard how the continued expansion of business services on the site and the increased passenger numbers are benefiting the local economy and providing local employment opportunities.
Again, the foresight of those engaged in working with the airport owners has been instrumental in making the airport such a success in a very short space of time.
Just while we were visiting, news broke of the proposed rail link to the airport which will further support tourism as well as plans
for residential development on part of the former MoD site.
In Doncaster itself, we had the opportunity to view the retail centre and the market. We walked the town centre and were very impressed by the new transport interchange and new college facility.
Of course, regeneration is an on-going effort, so we also heard about future plans for the town, including the Civic and Cultural Quarter in the Waterdale area and the Waterfront development, already home to the college, which seeks to reconnect the town centre to
its waterways.
We came away encouraged by what can be achieved in a very short space of time and would encourage you to build on what has already been achieved.
